President Donald Trump announced Friday he will immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after a federal appeals court ordered construction to halt on the White House ballroom project. Trump characterized the 2-1 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the Circuit Court's decision "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House — including all future Presidents of the United States, and their families, as well as the lives of all those visiting, such as Heads of State and other Dignitaries, and all Americans who wish to visit the historic, beautiful Executive Mansion."
Trump also claimed the court refused to acknowledge that the ballroom, which he stated is being built ahead of schedule and under budget, is "a Gift from President Trump and Great Patriots of the United States of America." He added that there will be no cost to American taxpayers and that the decision must be overturned.
The appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling that paused above-ground construction of the proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which replaced the demolished East Wing. The earlier ruling permitted work to continue on underground national-security facilities and certain safety measures, a decision the higher court also affirmed. The judges noted that there is no precedent for a president unilaterally demolishing substantial portions of the White House using privately collected funds without congressional authorization.
The court's decision does not prevent the president from building the ballroom if it receives authorization from Congress in the future. The ruling was stayed for 14 days, allowing time for a Supreme Court review. It remains unclear if the Supreme Court will agree to hear the case.
